Thursday, April 23, 2009

Art Antidote for a Lack of Resolve, 2

Though the poem by Edgar Albert Guest might have had some effect in making you more determined to pursue your goals, I mentioned that the strength of the art antidote could be increased--when combined with another.

La Valse d'Amelie, by Yann Tiersen, is exactly what I had in mind. The theme of the movie from which it is taken is "the need to courageously face reality (or one's fears) in order to attain happiness" but one doesn't have to have seen the film to understand what the song expresses.

While you're free to disagree, what I hear--when listening to the song--is a slow, purposeful advancement towards a goal (that is finally reached). Do you hear that, too? If so, listen and read the two within a short time span for greater results.

(Note: if you speak the first stanza right away, start the second at 32 seconds, and the third at 1:16, well, it sounds pretty freakin' good. But don't take my word for it. Push play above, scroll down--or open this page in a different window--read the poem with the music, and see for yourself.)